Children's Home run by Residential Child Care Community (Town Hall) Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 1 Registered provider: Residential Child Care Community (Town Hall) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This home is owned and managed by a small private provider. It offers care for up to 5 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for one child. The child spoke with the inspector as part of the inspection.

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Information about this children's home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/04/2025 Full Good 18/06/2024 Full Good 18/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/01/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 3

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Summary of findings

Safeguarding practice is not embedded in the home. Shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home have undermined staff's ability to safeguard children. One child moved into the home without robust planning. Staff were unable to meet the child's needs, and they moved on from the home after a short period of time. During the child's placement, staff were unable to manage peer relationships effectively. Children's health needs were not prioritised and medical advice not sought following incidents in the home. The management oversight of incidents is poor, and records lack clarity and are not accurate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The inspector identified shortfalls in relation to safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. These shortfalls have had an adverse impact on children's safety and overall experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children do not always experience well-planned moves into the home. For one child, managers did not ensure initial assessments fully considered the views of important people in the child's life. As a result, staff were not aware of the full extent of the child's risks and vulnerabilities, which led to an unplanned move from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home environment is not consistently maintained to an acceptable standard. Managers have not completed maintenance and repairs required following recent incidents at the property. In addition, ineffective cleaning routines mean the home is not consistently clean and tidy. As a result, children do not live in a homely environment that supports their comfort or sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children's behaviours are not consistently understood or responded to in a therapeutic manner. On one occasion, staff used inappropriate language when referring to a child whose risks and vulnerabilities were escalating. This practice does not promote a nurturing and supportive environment. Additionally, this undermines children's sense of being understood, valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children's health needs are not consistently met. Staff do not always ensure that children receive appropriate follow-up healthcare for injuries they sustain. In addition, staff do not always seek appropriate medical advice when children are involved in physical incidents with their peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the safeguarding concerns identified, one child said they have good relationships with staff and felt safe living in the home. Children and staff enjoy a range of activities, including fishing, go-karting and camping trips. Feedback from professionals is, overall, Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 4 positive. One social worker said, '[Name of child] has matured since living in the home and enjoys being there.'

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff recognise and understand the importance of children spending time with family and actively support these arrangements. This helps children maintain positive relationships with loved ones, promoting their emotional stability and sense of belonging.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff attempts to manage peer relationships are ineffective. This has resulted in physical incidents between children. Children have sustained injuries during these incidents, which reflects ineffective intervention from staff. One child said, 'Staff tried but it didn't work'.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff do not consistently understand their roles and responsibilities. They do not always follow procedures that are in place to keep children safe. For example, the inspector observed a staff member leaving the medication cabinet unlocked. In addition, staff do not follow the home's policy on the use of electronic cigarettes. This does not provide children with positive role models or support them to make healthier choices.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

When children go missing from home, staff take appropriate action. They work closely with the local police and actively search for children. However, on 2 occasions, children have been able to leave the home during the night without staff's knowledge. This leaves children at risk and does not evidence the learning from previous incidents.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff speak with children when they have concerns. Staff complete direct work to help children make safer choices and reinforce rules and boundaries. However, staff show limited professional curiosity around incidents that occur in the community. This is a missed opportunity to understand any potential risks to children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers take concerns about staff practice seriously. They share information appropriately and work closely with other professionals to ensure that concerns are thoroughly investigated. This promotes children's safety and welfare. Managers also take action to address concerns about staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are significant concerns about the leadership and management of the home. The identified shortfalls are undermining the staff team's ability to safeguard children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have systems in place to review the quality of care in the home. However, these are not effective. For example, managers have failed to identify and address significant shortfalls in recording. This limits their ability to evaluate risks and implement effective strategies to reduce them. Furthermore, risk assessments do not Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 5 provide staff with all the relevant information they need to assess and manage children's risks safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have access to a wide range of training and resources. However, learning is not embedded in staff practice. Staff have been unable to prevent similar incidents from recurring. This demonstrates a lack of understanding of children's individual needs and risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers actively review children's placements and recognise when they cannot meet children's needs. They work closely with the children's placing authorities, sharing information to help inform their future care planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback received about the registered manager is positive, and staff report feeling supported in their roles. They receive regular supervision in line with the home's statement of purpose. Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills, knowledge and understanding to identify, assess and manage risks to children, including risks arising from peer relationships.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and take appropriate 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 7 action to safeguard children when incidents occur between children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that risk assessments identify all known and emerging risks to children and provide staff with clear guidance on how to manage and reduce those risks.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that staff conduct is in line with the provider's policies and procedures and promotes children's safety and welfare.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff follow the provider's safeguarding policies and procedures and respond appropriately to concerns about children's welfare. This includes ensuring that expectations of staff practice are clear and that staff use professional curiosity when assessing and responding to concerns.

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 8 research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d)(g)(i)(ii)(h)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that managers and staff have the knowledge and skills to understand and manage peer relationships effectively.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and that learning from incidents is embedded in practice. This includes evaluating incidents, identifying learning and ensuring that staff take action to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents recurring.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that managers identify and address poor practice promptly and use incidents, complaints and other relevant information to promote wider learning and improve the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that management monitoring and review systems are effective in identifying and addressing shortfalls in staff practice and record-keeping.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand the child's health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child's health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(ii)) 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 9 The registered person must ensure that staff seek appropriate medical advice when children sustain injuries or are involved in incidents that may affect their health and wellbeing. The registered person must also ensure that children receive any necessary follow-up medical assessment and treatment without delay.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children's home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that attempts are made to obtain all relevant information to support decision- making in respect of whether staff can meet the needs of children moving into the home. 30 August 2026

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding; 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 10 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child's age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children's previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(vi)(ix)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the necessary skills to manage peer relationships.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child; and 30 August 2026 Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 11 enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that repairs are undertaken in a timely manner and that the home is clean and well presented.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the 'Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards'. Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 12

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Residential Child Care Community (Town Hall) Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 843 Finchley Road, London NW11 8NA

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Inspector

Kitty Wiper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2675591 13 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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